24/7 ?

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kimky

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Today i went to a stables as part of my college course .... an found something abit upseting.
All the horses were stabled 24/7 and only went out to be rode. they also did not have any toys like a likit or horse ball and most of them were heavy cobs, so they can easily live out and many had vices like cribbng ? I can understand horse been kept in at night and turned out in the day but i found this a bit wrong because horses are designed to be out. They could at least have toys ?
Whats your opinion on horses stabled 24/7?..?
 
um....... well without sparking a huge debate and causing upset I will try and give my PERSONAL opinion.

I think that horses are now domesitcated so can be rugged stabled ridden e.t.c. I think horses are happier out in general although some prefer to come in and will stand at the gate.

Mine is out during the day and in at night all year (need to keep some of my grass).

I think that horses who don't get turned out is unfair as it is like keeping me cooped up all day in a public toilet size space with someone chucking me a mars bar every 4 hours!

I do PERSONALLY believe that this MAY be the cause of some vices that we see today.
 
mine have been in since sunday as it has been to wet to turn them out in the field.i would love for them to be out but sometimes it is not practical.there is lots of horses who live in 24/7 which is very sad.
 
so long as they ridden every day, i have no problem with it. Not every yard does have space for turn out and some have very limited so can only turn out in better weather
 
Mine is in most of the time and thats generally how it is over here. In mainland Europe its quite common place to keep them in. Infact, it seems the UK is rather unique in the daily turnout beliefs.

In an ideal world Id have him out more than he currently is, but he wouldnt be out all day as i dont think its necessary. As it stands now, we have zero stable vices on the yard and a lot of contented horses. I believe its what they get used to and providing they have a good daily routine and plenty of exercise, then its all ok.
 
I think it takes a particular type of horse and a particular type of yard.

The horses in the Royal Mews don't get turnout. There is not a vice in sight. The place is run like clockwork and the horses have a day filled with routine, grooming and exercise. They are also fed properly, not over corned or starved.

Unless they yard is run like this, then itis bound to affect the mental and physical health of the horses... or rather inmates.

PS... Lickets are the work of the devil! No horse needs a load of sugar, let alone one thatis imobilised in a stable.
 
I too would find this usetting. its againct theRSPCA 5 freedoms. a horse cannot act like a horse when its confined to its box-like prison. it needs to interact with other, scratch them on the neck and so forth, graze, walk around, roll and have a life.
 
If the horses are being ridden one or two times a day and being used for stable management lessons then it makes sense for them to be in during the day. Are you sure they dont get to go out on their days off?
 
I personally think it's cruel to leave a horse in a 12x12 ft stable (or even a bigger one!) 24/7. Getting them out for ridden exercise does not necessarily give them the opportunity to relax properly and engage in horsey behaviour. I like my horse to go out even for a few hrs a day in the winter.
 
[ QUOTE ]
"I think it takes a particular type of horse and a particular type of yard.

The horses in the Royal Mews don't get turnout. There is not a vice in sight. The place is run like clockwork and the horses have a day filled with routine, grooming and exercise. They are also fed properly, not over corned or starved."




I think I agree with this, but don't the horses in the Royal Mews go on holiday where they are turned out 24/7 for a few months a year? Or am I confusing them with the Shire horses that pull the drays around London?
 
i am positively sure they dont go out at all not even in summer. i dont really agree that the only time a horse comes out of the stable is to be rode it makes life rather boring and lonely ?
 
When I did my training at an Army Saddle Club the horses were all kept in 24/7, they were in a big american barn type stabling and the indoor school was at one end so they didn't even go outside at all
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They did get 2 weeks holiday in the summer where they went away and got turned out in a field, but they didn't have any stable vices at all and were very happy horses. They were ridden 2 or 3 times a day for an hour at a time.

Us lot that worked there had the dubious pleasure of hacking them out for the first time in the spring, now that was interesting....!!
 
Ours have been in for the last few days 24/7 due to the bad weather... i would prefer my mare to stay in than be out, trash the fied and be knee deep in mud then get mud fever (as she does oh so easily). B is much happier in her clean dry stable than outside with itchy feet! Often these horses do get some type of turnout even if its just in a school to have a good role and stretch their legs... i know ours go on the walker also twice if they are in all day. different yards are run differently as long as the horses are happy and healthy thats all that matters no? (although large amounts of stable vices does seem worrying- clearly their plan isnt working!)
 
The royal horses do get a summer holiday.My friend used to go and collect a load up each year and they would have a great time in her fields.

I think as long as the horse is exercised and gets enough mental stimulation, its not cruel. They are domestic animals now. Out of choice I would turn out all day in the summer then in at night. In the winter my grazing is restricted so they dont get out so much. They are very happy though and exercised every day and get to wander out of their stables loose for an hour or so a day.
 
Mines out 24/7 all year round i wouldnt entertain a yard that had restictions on turnout coz of the weather.Our fields get trashed in the winter especially when its wet but they always recover and we always let one rest for the spring so we can swap the horses over.I personally wouldnt keep a horse in unless it was for medical reasons of some sort and i know my horse would turn into a complete loon if i did.
 
Well I've put junior out at night last few days as he was becoming a right handfull. He's well rugged and comes in during the day for food and rest and seems much happier for it. I wouldn't do it with Willow though, he's one of those that's quite content with a couple of hours turnout plus work and likes his 'pipe and slippers', each is different.

I do think that they like to have contact with each other, touch is very important for horses and to be able to roll or scratch each other, even if only over the door does them a power of good
 
Agree on that completly. Ours are in an american barn type setting and are nearly always found nodding in the afternoon in pairs, snuggled up to each others bars
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They get out most days in the indoor school or one of the running pens for a kick about and a roll. They're nearly all on the horse walkers. People work them everyday and they're all out for walks in hand to graze, full grooms and solarium time.

They all seem happy
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One of my loan horses, indie, hates being in his stable, he just loves the field!

other loan horse Rodney likes being out during the day and in at night

Horse im looking after ATM loves her stable, she'd rather be turned out in a massive field full of haylage but as stable = haylage she likes her stable better :P
 
See I would find that cruel, pickle loves seeing other horses when he had to have a weeks box rest with no horsy contact (infectious) he got very upset, he always is brought it at around 4:30pm every night, and turned out at 8:30am. He is brought down to be ridden and at weekends he sometimes isnt turned out purely because he is on working livery and weekends are busy
 
All my horses are turned out in the morning (7:30am) and brought in at about 5:00pm in the winter.
in the summer its the same for my 14.2 pony and 16.3 warmblood, but i have a 15.2 dressage horse given to me to produce and over the summer i turned her out all the time as she is sharp and goes better the more turn out she has (too weedy to have out all winter!) and i turn out my 17.2 warmblood out with her to keep her company.
i wouldn't have my horses turned out all night in the winter as we have 4 horses (well the dressage horse is for sale so 3 soon) and 2.5 achres of land and the fields get churned up, and although they recover in spring, i am not prepared to have a pigsty of a field in the winter. plus my pony has been known to get mud fever.
i can understand why livery yards don't provide all year turn out as it does make a mess of the fields and other liverys don't (as a rule) like to turn their horses out in a boggy muddy field.
 
Previously mine used to be out 24/7 (didn't have stables) now I do; and my mare is waiting for me every night at the gate ready to come in, winter or summer (she loves it); but don't believe 24/7 in a stable could be healthy, mentally for anything (god it would be like being in a prison/or zoo). What is it they say --- variety is the spice of life ---
 
In an ideal world, horses would be turned out every day. But these college horses are getting regular care and exercise, and presumably can see each other so do have some social contact.
There are more worthy things to get upset about than horses stabled 24/7 due to circumstances such as clay soil, insufficient acreage particularly when they probably go out during the summer and the holidays...possibly even at weekends.
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Don't have a problem with it. Ours are out 24/7 in summer and in 24/7 in winter, when they're ridden daily. This allows the fields to grow, and our yard makes all its own haylage. It's sometimes a chore to ride out in horrible weather, but all the horses adapt to the winter routine in just a few days. There's no loss of condition, they can see neighbouring horses, and, on bad days, they really don't want to go out, so, as I said, I have no problem with it.
 
Mine is now in 24/7 - will get the odd hour in the T/O paddock but basically fields are shut now til April.

Would prefer otherwise for her as she loves being out but you take what life throws at you and as long as she has plenty of hay and is ridden every day she will be ok. I buy those 'seasonal vegetable' bags from Tesco for £1 for her and thread them on bailer twine to keep her entertained and she can see and touch her mates either side of her.

Horses are much better than people at addapting to things like this I think. It is all too easy to anthromorpholise.
 
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